Glove knitting method

ABSTRACT

A method for knitting a glove using a lateral glove knitting machine having opposed rows of knitting needles, some of which on one side are stitch transfer needles, comprising the steps of first knitting the finger portions and the back and palm portions of a glove down to the root of the thumb portion of the glove; second, knitting the thumb portion of the glove down to the root thereof; next, connecting the back of the thumb portion of the glove to the palm of the glove at the root of the thumb portion, and then continuing to knit the back portion of the glove and the palm portion of the glove with the palm portion continuing from the front side of the thumb portion of the glove.

United States Patent Yabuta 5] Nov. 4, 1975 GLOVE KNITTING METHOD PrimaExaminerRonald Feldbaum 75 Inventor. Masah Y b ta w k k ry 1 Ja a u aayama en Attorney, Agent, or FirmWh1ttemore, Hulbert &

pan Belknap [73] Assignee: Shima Idea Center Company ed 22 F1 d Japan 57ABSTRACT 1 1 e June 1974 A method for knitting a glove using a lateralglove PP 476,772 knitting machine having opposed rows of knittingneedles, some of which on one side are stitch transfer 5 n needles,comprising the steps of first knitting the fin- }g; 5:2 g d g gj gerportions and the back and palm portions of a glove [58] Fieid 0. 66/65174 down to the root of the thumb portion of the glove; second, knittingthe thumb portion of the glove down the root thereof next connectin theback of the [56] References Cited to g thumb portion of the glove to thepalm of the glove at UNITED STATES PATENTS the root of the thumbportion, and then continuing to 2,214,517 9/1940 Zippel.. 66/65 knit theback portion of the glove and the palm porg; s f

tion of the glove with the palm portion continuing immat 2,877,6353/1959 Powell 66/ 174 X from the front Side of the thumb portlon of theglove. 3,115,760 12/1963 Pierce 66/65 8 Chims, 17 Drawing Figures3,788,103 l/l974 Asai 66/174 U.S. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 Sheet10f73,916,647

FIG. 2

FIG. I

US. Patent Nov.4, 1975 Sheet2of7 3,916,647

US. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 Sheet 3 of7 3,916,647

US. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 Sheet 4 of7 3,916,647

FIG. 8

U.S. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 Sheet 5 of7 3,916,647

FIG. /0 I 1 2 Fl6.l/ I 2 US. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 Sheet 6 of7 3,916,647

FIG. I3 I 3 FIG. I5

FIG. /6

FIG. /7

GLOVE KNITTING METHOD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION According to the knownglove knitting method, when knitting of the upper portions of the palmand back is completed, the knitted fabric on the back side istransferred to the stems of the needles and while keeping the knittedfabric on the palm side in the state taken out of the needles, a thumbis knitted. After formation of the thumb, the lower portions of the palmand back are knitted and as knitted are connected with the terminal endsof the back side fabric previously transferred to the stems of theneedles and to the palm side of the thumb portion. In a glove formed bythis known knitting method, however, a non-knitted opening is leftbetween the back side of the thumb root and the palm side, and thisopening has been knitted and closed by manual cross-stitching in asubsequent step. The efficiency of the glove knitting method, which hasbeen automated with much effort heretofore made, is drastically loweredby this manual cross-stitching step.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a gloveknitting method in which in linking a thumb portion with a palm portionof the glove, the root of the thumb portion is knitted continuously withthe palm portion and therefore a manual stitching operation need not beeffected in performing a knitting process.

According to this invention, a special knitting thread is used forforming the root portion of the thumb, or a heat-sealing step isconducted in combination with use of a special thread or an overlockstitching step is performed, whereby the root portion of the thumb canbe effectively fixed and hence, the above-mentioned reduction of theoperation efficiency can be prevented effectively.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a view illustrating thefront or the palm side of a glove knitted according to the method ofthis invention.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating the longitudinal section taken along theline IIII of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 to 8 are longitudinal sectional views of a knitting machine anda knitted fabric, which show the steps of the knitting method of thisinvention.

FIGS. 9 to 14 are ground plans corresponding to FIGS. 3 to 8,respectively, which illustrate the relation between the needles and theknitted fabric.

FIGS. 15 to 17 illustrate sections of the thumb root portions of glovesformed according to three embodiments, respectively.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An ordinary lateral glove knittingmachine is used in practising the method of the present invention. Inthis knitting machine, of the needles for knitting the thumb portion,those disposed on one side are provided with a stitch transfer deviceand are thereinafter referred to as stitch transfer needles", theneedles of the glove knitting machine are arranged as shown in FIGS. 9to 14.

In the drawings, needles 1 are those for knitting a glove back portion,needles 2 and 3 are those for knitting the glove palm portion and someof needles I and 3 are also used for knitting the thumb portion.

An embodiment of this invention shown in FIG. 15 will now be described.At first, portions of a forefinger, a middle finger, a ring finger and alittle finger of the glove are knitted by needles 1, 2 and .3, and thenthe upper half portions 4, 4a of the back and palm are knitted toward aline 5 of the root of the thumb portion by all of the needles 1 to 3. Atthe root of the thumb, the stitch transfer needles 3 are elevated to theposition shown in FIG. 4, and loops on the palm side are transferred toneedles 1 confronting the stitch transfer needles 3. Then, needles 1,except those confronting the needles 3, and needles 2 are kept in theresting state, and the thumb portions 6, 6a are knitted (see FIG. 5)according to an optional method while keeping the back and palm portions4, 4a in the state hooked on stems of the needles 1 (see FIG. 11). Aftercompletion of the formation of the thumb portion, the loops of the backside 6 of the thumb and the palm portion 4a are transferred to operatingposition of the needles 1 and a small number of linking courses 7 areknitted (see FIG. 6). These courses 7 are formed by employingthermo-plastic yarns and connecting the heat sealing after knitting, orby employing bulky yarns to prevent occurrence of fraying or formingoverlock stitches and coating an adhesive thereon to prevent occurrenceof fraying. When formation of the courses 7 is completed, the courses 7are taken out of the needles 1 (see FIG. 7), and then, the lowerportions 8, 8a of the back and palm are knitted by all of the needles 1to 3 (see FIG. 8). Thus the entire glove knitting process is completed.

The foregoing description has been made on the glove, the section takenalong the root of the thumb of which is shown in FIG. 15. The method ofthis invention, however, can be similarly applied to knitting of gloveshaving a section such as shown in FIG. 16 or 17. In each case, theintended object of this invention can be attained by employing stitchtransfer needles as the needles on the palm side at the positionindicated by a in the drawings.

Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 16. Atfirst a portion of four fingers other than the thumb are knitted byneedles 3 and needles 2 of the palm portion of the glove and needles 1confronting these needles 2, 3 and then the upper half portions 4, 4a ofthe back and palm are knitted toward the line of the root of the thumbportion by the needles 1, 2 and 3. At the root of the thumb the stitchtransfer needles 3 are elevated to the position shown in FIG. 4 andloops on the palm side are transferred to the needles l confronting thestitch transfer needles 3. Then, the stitch transfer needles 3, needles2, on the outside of which the needles 3 are disposed, and needles 1confronting these needles 2, 3 are kept in operating position and theother needles than those are kept in the resting state, and the thumbportions 6, 6a are knitted (see FIG. 5) keeping the back and palmportions 4, 4a hooked on stems of the needles 1. After completion of theformation of the thumb portion, loops being at a in the palm portion 4aare transferred to operating position of the needles 1 and a few linkingcourses 7 are knitted (see FIG. 6). When formation of the courses 7 iscompleted, the courses 7 are taken out of the needles 1 (see FIG. 7).Then, the lower portions 8, 8a of the back and palm are knitted by allof the needles 1 to 3 (see FIG. 8).

Still another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 17.In this embodiment knitting steps are almost same as that shown in FIG.15. It is different from the first embodiment only in the arrangement ofthe needles 2 for knitting the palm portion which are disposed at bothside of the stitch transfer needles 3.

What is claimed is: v

l. A method for knitting a glove using a lateral knitting machine havingopposed rows of needles, at least some of the needles in one of theopposed rows being stitch transfer needles, comprising the steps offirst knitting the fingers, back and palm portions of the glove down tothe root of the thumb portion of the glove, knitting the thumb portionof the glove to have a back side and front side, connecting the backside of the thumb portion of the glove at the root of the thumb portionto the palm portion of the glove, and continuing to knit the back andpalm portions of the glove to complete the glove, with the continuationof the palm portion of the glove at the thumb portion being from thefront side of the thumb portion at the root thereof.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, and further including the step oftransferring yarn loops at the end of the palm portion of the glove atthe root of the thumb portion by the transfer needles to the opposed rowof needles prior to knitting of the thumb portion of the glove.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the back side of thethumb portion of the glove is connected to the palm portion of the gloveby a separate knitting thread.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the back side of thethumb portion of the glove is connected to the palm portion of the gloveby an overlock stitching step.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the glove is knit of aheat scalable yarn and the step of connecting the back side of the thumbportion to the palm portion of the glove is a heat sealing step.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thumb portion of theglove is knit to terminate at one side at the adjacent side of the backand palm portions of the glove.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thumb portion of theglove is knit to terminate at one side outwardly of the glove beyond theadjacent side of the back and palm portions of the glove.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thumb portion of theglove is knit to terminate at one side inwardly of the glove from theadjacent edge of the back and palm portions of the glove.

* l l l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OI CORRECTION Patent3,916,647 Dated November 4, 1975 Inventor(s) It is certified that errorappears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent arehereby corrected as shown below:

On the cover sheet insert:

[30] FOREIGN APPLICATION PRIORITY DATA June 11, 1973 Japan .0. Sho48-65664 Signed and Scale this twenty-seventh ,D ay 0? April 1976 [SEAL]Arrest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Allesling Officer Commissioner oflatenlsand Trademarks

1. A method for knitting a glove using a lateral knitting machine havingopposed rows of needles, at least some of the needles in one of theopposed rows being stitch transfer needles, comprising the steps offirst knitting the fingers, back and palm portions of the glove down tothe root of the thumb portion of the glove, knitting the thumb portionof the glove to have a back side and front side, connecting the backside of the thumb portion of the glove at the root of the thumb portionto the palm portion of the glove, and continuing to knit the back andpalm portions of the glove to complete the glove, with the continuationof the palm portion of the glove at the thumb portion being from thefront side of the thumb portion at the root thereof.
 2. The method asset forth in claim 1, and further including the step of transferringyarn loops at the end of the palm portion of the glove at the root ofthe thumb portion by the transfer needles to the opposed row of needlesprior to knitting of the thumb portion of the glove.
 3. The method asset forth in claim 1, wherein the back side of the thumb portion of theglove is connected to the palm portion of the glove by a separateknitting thread.
 4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the backside of the thumb portion of the glove is connected to the palm portionof the glove by an overlock stitching step.
 5. The method as set forthin claim 1, wherein the glove is knit of a heat sealable yarn and thestep of connecting the back side of the thumb portion to the palmportion of the glove is a heat sealing step.
 6. The method as set forthin claim 1, wherein the thumb portion of the glove is knit to terminateat one side at the adjacent side of the back and palm portions of theglove.
 7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thumb portionof the glove is knit to terminate at one side outwardly of the glovebeyond the adjacent side of the back and palm portions of the glove. 8.The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thumb portion of theglove is knit to terminate at one side inwardly of the glove from theadjacent edge of the back and palm portions of the glove.